Barrel



(No Model.)

W. HEISER. BARREL.

No. 421,570. Patented Feb. 18,1890.

Inventor:

ERS, FholwLiihogmphor. WisllingQon'. D. c.

wmw 1. 2%;;

I UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM HEISER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BARREL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,570, dated February18, 1890. Application filed Decemher '7, 1889. Serial No. 332,937. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HEISER, of Buffalo, in the county of ErieandState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBeer-Oasks; and I do hereby declare that the following description of mysaid invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention has general reference to improvements in beer-casks,hogsheads, and

- similar wooden vessels; and it consists, essentially, in the novel andpeculiar combination of parts and details of construction, ashereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings already mentioned, which serve to illustrate my saidinvention more fully, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ofa beer-cask constructed in accordance with my said invention. Fig. 2 isa similar view of the tensioning device for the heads of said cask,drawn on a slightly-increased scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view of amodified form of my device. Fig. 4 is an end view of the dividedcoupling for this rod as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of referencein allthe figures.

The object of this invention is the production of an improved fasteningfor the heads of beer-casks, hogsheads, and similar wooden vessels,which shall be capable of being inserted into and removed from saidcasks in a very short space of time, as will now be more fullyexplained.

- In Letters Patent No. 837,401, granted to me on the 9th day of March,1886, I have shown and claimed a cask having a central rod andfastening, whereby the heads may be expanded and locked in position. I11this device the central rod is constructed in one piece, and thoughanswering the purposeperfectly, is yet open to the criticism that itcannot wellbe manufactured in quantities at a time, because beer-casksof the same nominal size vary in length from a few inches to nearly afoot, so that some rods may be too long and project from the heads adistance that is objectionable to the owners and manufacturers. It is,furthermore, found that the rods,

when to be removed from the cask, cannot readily be withdrawn therefrom.To overcome these and other objections which it is not deemed necessarytohere mention, I construct my device of two (more, if desired) piecesand join them by means of a fastening after the seperate pieces havebeen properly inserted into the heads of the cask, and then proceed toexpand the heads, thereby accomplishing the desired object in a cheapbut very efficient manner.

A is the usual cask. It has heads B, of the well-known construct-ion,provided with outside brace-timbers D, and a 1nan-hole fitted with mypatented or other improved manhole cover P, through which access may behad to the interior of said cask by removing said cover.

0 O are the tie-rods, having each screwthreads on both ends at c e (Zcl, respectively, the formerc 0 being fitted with nuts G on the insideof the cask and E outside of the bracetimbers, and the latter d dengaging a coupling J, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Thiscoupling resembles the usual turn-buckle; but it difiers therefrom,inasmuch as it is made of two similar longitudinal halves, as shown inFig. 4, each half having a bar j uniting 7 In the heads 13, I make theapertures 41 for the passage of the rods 0 G conical, as shown in Fig.2, and fit into these apertures conical plugs I, made from rubber orother suitable elastic material, and place these conical plugs upon saidrods, washers H being interposed between the nuts G and the plugs I toavoid abrasion, there being also placed metallic plates F on the outsideof the brace-timbers D underneath the nuts E for a similar purpose. Itwill now be observed that'in dividing the central rod 0 into twoportionsI am enabled by removing the outside nuts E to insert these rodsseparately from the inside of the cask. I then replace these nuts andscrew them (or the nuts G, if desired) up tightly. Now I place the twohalves of the coupling J upon the free ends of the said rods and securethe same rigidly together by lockin g them with the sleeves K. I nowproceed to expand the heads, when the whole'is completed in a very shortspace of time in a satisfactory manner, and may be removed at any timethereafter by proeeedin in the reverse order of manipulations. It willwill now be further observed that, owing to the introduction of thecoupling J, which I prefer to make about one foot in length, I amcapable of making the rods 0 C fit the variations in the length of thecasks, thereby enabling me to manufacture the entire fastening device inquantities and be sure of a proper fit.

It is perfectly evident that other coupling devices may be constructedto connect the inner ends of the rods 0 O, and in Fig. 3 I have shownone such fastening.

Instead of screw-threading the ends 0 c, I notch them at L and placeover the ends a sleeve K, and lock the rods by a key IV. Many othersimilar devices may, however, be produced without departing from thenature of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure to me by 1 my invention. I have heretoset my hand in 1 the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

a wooden barrel consisting of the staves A, having the 1nan-hole andcover P, the heads 1 Letters Patent of the United States-- 1. As animproved article of manufacture,

B 3, the brace-timbers I) on the outside of i said heads, and anexpansion-rod consisting 01": the pieces 0 (1, having the nuts E on theoutside of said brace-timbers, and the expand.- ing nuts G, withunderlying packing II on. the inside of said heads, said rods beingjointed within the barrel by a suitable fastening, as and for the objectset forth.

2. In beer-casks and similar wooden vessels, the combination, with theheads 1nd brace-timbers, of a brace-rod having conical elastic plugsfitting the conical apertures in said heads, and locking-nuts within andwithout said heads, as and for the object set forth.

3. In beer-casks and similar vessels, the combination, with the heads,of a divided brace rod having fastenings on its outer ends and acoupling on its inner ends, said coupling consisting of a dividedturn-buckle having locking-sleeves fitting sockets on said turn-buckle,as described.

i. In beer-casks and similar vessels, the combination, with the heads,of the divided brace-rod having locking-nuts and washers on its outerend and tapering elastic plugs .fitting similar openings in said heads,and, a coupling uniting the inner ends, said coupling consisting of adivided turn-buckle havin g locking mechanism by which the rods may berigidly secured together upon their inner ends, and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as M. IIEISER. Attest:

MIeHAEL J. STARK, \VM. 0. STARK.

